This invention relates particularly to the mounting of a tail ski onto a light airplane. A typical tail ski installation according to Federal Air Regulation (F.A.R.) 43-13-2 has a fixed penetration ski which is mounted on the tail wheel, a pedestal on each side of the ski being pivotably secured to the tail wheel by an extension of the wheel axle, the wheel extending partly through the ski. An attitude limiting cable and shock cord connect the ski toe to a point on the fuselage forward of the tail wheel strut. This arrangement severely limits tail ski steering and caster. Another conventional tail ski mounting, that of Aero-Ski of Minneapolis, Minnesota, allows for a full tail wheel ski castering but without allowing any change in attitude of the ski.
The heavy duty aircraft ski of Landes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,065 designed primarily for helicopters, has shock cord and safety cable attitude control and as shown, swivel is limited only by the scissors linkage of the non-rotative landing gear fork. The shock cords and safety cables attached to the toe and heel of the ski connect to an attachment ring or eye bolt on a ski bungee bracket added to the oleo piston rod or landing gear wheel fork.
The conventional light airplane with a tricycle landing gear has a spring mounted steerable tail wheel with an overload release which allows the tail wheel to swivel around an obstruction. A need has been demonstrated for a simple reliable tail wheel-ski mount for light aircraft which will allow the ski to swivel and also change attitude within the limits of a safety cable and shock cords or springs.